A bail bond, technically called a "surety bond", is a contractual undertaking guaranteed by a state licensed bail bail bondsman who is backed by an insurance company.

The bail agent guarantees to the court payment of the full amount of the bond if the defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court appearances. For your protection, always deal with licensed bail bond company. [Video: What is a Bail Bond?]

The cost of a bail bond in California is set with the Department of Insurance at 10% of the total bail amount.

We often get the questions from potential clients: “Can you do it for less?”, “Would you take 5% if I pay cash?” Any agent offering bail at 5% in the State of California is simply acting illegally or deceptively (See bail bond scams for more information).

We understand that you want your bail bond at the lowest cost. If possible, you want "Cheap Bail Bonds". We will work with you to find the best situation to obtain bail in a legal manner.

We do not negotiate bail premium. Some people may not care if paying an illegal 5% bail premium is against the law.

However, we ask you to consider carefully the position in which unlawful bail puts you. If a bail agent is breaking the law by price-cutting, will the same agent return your collateral? Will he or she surrender the defendant back to the court without cause? 5% sounds like a great deal, but what will it really cost you?

Please be careful and think through your options before accepting a cheap bail bond offer.

When arranging bail, companies generally need payment in advance of “posting” a bond for the release of a detainee.

We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Most of our clients pay using credit card.

At Greg Rynerson Bail Bonds, we know the cost of the bail bond is more than many people have at hand. Therefore we offer various payment options, flexible financing and payment plans when acquiring a bail bond. In many cases, we can offer no collateral bail bonds. [Video: Bail Payment Options]

When an individual is arrested, generally, they will be taken to a local law enforcement station for processing and booking. Processing and booking includes fingerprinting, pictures, and nation-wide computer database searches. It can take many hours, but in smaller jails generally happens more quickly.

A Citation Release involves the issuance of a citation to the arrestee, informing the arrestee that he or she must appear for an appointed court date. This is typical for more minor infractions such as traffic violations.

Yes, you can. To be released on cash bail, an individual must post the full amount of the bail with the court in the form of cash or cashiers check. In order to post cash bail, an individual should check with the bail clerk to verify forms of payment accepted in an individual jurisdiction as different courts may have other options or restrictions. The source of funds for large bail generally must be verified to ensure that funds come from legal sources. [Video: Do I Have to Use a Bondsman?]

Generally, a bail bond company will be contacted by phone to begin the bail procedure. During the initial phone consultation, most companies will ask for information about your situation in order to determine the risk involved in the bond and begin the approval process. Once the bail bond is approved, the customer will need to sign basic bail bond documents including an application, Indemnity Agreement, and receipt. After the paperwork is finalized and payment has been made, a licensed bondsman will “post” the bail bond at the jail.

Rynerson Bail Bonds can handle your bail bond quickly. From start to finish, most bail bonds are completed in 1-2 hours. We are also able to handle bail bond documentation by e-mail and fax in a matter of minutes. In addition, we also have a strategic network of licensed agents throughout California who can “post” bail bonds at the appropriate jail. [Video: Fast Jail Release]

If the defendant is not bailed out, he or she will generally remain in custody until the matter has been resolved in court.

The defendant is taken to court in jail attire. There the defendant can be represented by an attorney, if they have one. At court, several things may happen.

Initially, the judge may raise bail, lower bail, leave bail the same or remove bail.

The defendant may also enter a plea in court. Remember, a guilty plea creates a criminal record for the rest of the defendant's life. Job applications and other situations require a convict to report such matters.

Rynerson Bail Bonds has a great collection of bail bond resources for your easy access and convenience. From bail schedules to informational articles, you can find what you are looking for when it comes to information on bail bonds.

Collateral is something of value that is used to secure a debt or ensure payment. Sometimes a bail bond company will receive collateral in order to ensure that the defendant appears in court. Most bail bond collateral is in the form of real estate or cash. A bail bond company must return your collateral at the resolution of the case.

If the "failure-to-appear" in court was a simple mistake, then the bail bond company or an attorney can usually make arrangements for the defendant to return to court.

Courts generally understand that people get sick, traffic or car problems arise and other unforeseen circumstances occur. This is most commonly the situation and is easily remedied. [Video: Skipping Bail]